OpenAI CEO's 2023 Salary Revealed at $76,001, Slightly Higher Than 2022

According to media reports, a newly released tax filing reveals that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman earned a salary of $76,001 in 2023, slightly higher than the $73,546 he received in 2022.

Sam Altman has consistently stated that he does not hold equity in OpenAI. However, there have been reports suggesting that OpenAI has discussed granting Altman a stake as part of its transition to a for-profit entity.

As required for U.S. nonprofit organizations, OpenAI annually submits a filing to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which disclosed Altman’s compensation. The year 2023 was a turbulent one for OpenAI, beginning with the meteoric rise of its chatbot ChatGPT and ending with Altman’s brief departure following a dispute with the board of directors.

OpenAI co-founder and former Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever played a pivotal role in Altman's ousting and left the company in May this year. In 2023, Sutskever earned $322,201, making him one of the highest-paid executives listed in the tax filing. Additionally, Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear, who served as interim CEO during Altman’s absence, was paid $3,720. While Shear’s tenure reportedly lasted only about three days, the filing states that he was compensated for the period from November 19 to November 29, earning $338.18 per day, including weekends.

However, the total compensation for some executives may be significantly higher. The tax filing does not account for any equity-based compensation that OpenAI executives might have received as the company’s valuation surged. The company also has not disclosed details regarding external investments by venture capitalists in OpenAI’s for-profit entity.